Hello Junbies ......

I haven't seen a June Band Crew thread yet so thought I would start it .

I'll be banded on June 9th in Texas. I'm getting very excited about it. I know that the band is just a "tool" to aid in my weight loss journey and it will take a lot of hard work on my part to make it successful. I've been overweight my whole life with the earliest memories being around age 4. Although no one else in my family is overweight, I am extremely fortunate to have full family support in my decision. I know that there are many people who's family doesn't offer the support they need. I would love to meet other pre-bandsters being banded in June to walk with me to the banded side of life and offer each other support.

I wish you all the best.

Melissa Lea :hippie:

Pre-bandster 240 lbs

June 9, 2006

Spivak

self-pay

wow 57 lbs is just amazing!!

Did that include the pre-banding diet?

I am working on getting to onerland- 7 lbs to go.

I think you just have to remember that we did not gain it all overnight and the only lasting way to lose is slowly. And that just stinks- I am hoping that once we all get to goal we will forget this scale hell!!

Yeah 20 was on the 2 week pre-op diet, but it is included cause it was the beginning of my banding journey.

Christmas Challenge: You give your joined weight J (weight at beginning of challenge), your current weight, C, and your goal weight, G for December 25, 2006. Put it in your signature line and update it every week. Why not update on Thursdays like we do for the water. All those that make their goal, which you set yourself, will be put in a drawing. The name picked will get a prize. My suggestion is that each of us participating purchase a $5 gift card to WalMart or Target and we'll send it to the person in January.

Those participating are: tribon, cathgr8, warmingson, lucymann, suefwd, pab, pinkylee, rroswelltx, and barbara465.

If there are any others that want to join let me know. All participants must be in by Thursday the 17th to make it fair. Your goal for the challenge should be realistic, but should be one to attain to and not easy. OK, you know what I mean - not I will lose 2 lbs by December 25th.

Let's see what we can do to get ourselves out of the doldrums and onto positive approaches. I called for a fill today for next Wednesday. I only want a slight fill so I can better control my volume. I'm doing pretty good on what I'm eating.

What will you do this week to make a difference on your journey?

Thanks Barbara- I think I got my signature updated correctly

It made me so excited to even think about putting the goal number in.

This week I am all about exercise and staying away from the junk food!!

Randi, You sound very depressed. I was banded on June 21, 2006. I have lost 40. I am getting my first fill next week on 8/22. Why don't get get a partial unfill. you should not have to be miserable. Don't put it off. I got a post op infection, too. My incicison opened back up BIGTIME and drained green gook for 2 weeks. Be thankful for every step that you take in the right direction. If you don't start feeling better, first see the doctor and then a therapist. Good luck and God bless.

I got my first fill today! I drove 270 miles to go to Dr. Curry in Cincinnati. He put in 1.4 cc's in my 4 cc band. It really hurt at first because I have a flipped port! He said the sutures must have popped loose and my port is just kind of floating. The doctor finally manipulated the port to the needle (ouch!). The access site on the port is facing up towards my head!

The good news is that I lost 3 lbs from my last Dr. appointment 2 weeks ago!

I'm surprised because I have been sneaking sweets again. Not to the degree that I used to by far but, with me, it only takes a couple of bites and I'm hooked again.

Good luck to all in the Christmas Challenge! I'm going to concentrate on getting more exercise this week and bringing a snack in the car so that I don't talk myself into stopping on the way home from work for breakfast (I work midnights).

Ok I just posted my Christmas Goal - I like your idea of buying a gift card and sending it to the winner. That will work great!

I had my 2nd fill yesterday. I am now at 2 cc's and I definitely have restriction. I was able to eat a little more than I thought I should but now I am back on liquids for a few days.

Good luck everyone on meeting your Christmas goal!

Care to name your favorite Protein?

Someone mentioned PORK CHOPS and they were something I forgot all about! Thanks!

MY FAVORITE PROTEIN IS THIn SLICED BAR B Q BRISKET FROM HEB GROCERY STORE. Pre-cooked, Lean and easy to chew to a pulp!

Houston, We Have Restriction.

Fill yesterday. Floura (whatever) showed no restriction before they began. They have me at 2.7cc now.

This morning--coffee went down smooth

2 sips of Protein drink--I had to quit! Too thick. Hopefully I'll loosen up.

My fill nurse yesterday wasn't as adept as the nurse for my first fill. What an ordeal--not painful--but a lot of poking around. Wish me luck--I don't want to go through an unfill any time soon!

Pinkylee - GOOD LUCK! If you are having problems I have found (like others on this thread) that a little warm water, coffee or tea really helps to open up and let the other stuff go down!

Glad to see all those Christmas goals show up on the signature lines. I think most are being very realistic about their goals. This should keep all of us moving in the right direction.

I was really bad last night. I had grilled fish and veggies for dinner. I really don't like fish so it was a sacrifice for me. Gordon's frozen fillets are pretty good, but fish is just not my favorite. Later I had some chilli con queso and a few chips. At 9:00 I had 3 crackers with Peanut Butter. Shame on me. I was hungry. I can't believe I did that, but I did sleep well last night.

Needless to say I had called for a fill. I'll go next Wednesday. I needed to wait until this dinner party on Saturday is over and DH birthday on Monday. I need to work with some restriction and not my will power.

At the surgicenter there is a camera they can use to locate the port. If they have trouble next time tell her to use it. They did that the first time on me when she couldn't locate it or it kept moving. She only poked me once so it helped.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Hey Barbara --

I'm sure you will have better luck with your fill this go around. Last time I went I had a Nurse practioner that was training to do fills. She practiced on me. She kept hitting the side of my port and trying and trying. Thank goodness I have a very high threshold for pain so it didn't even hurt. Finally the other girl had to get the needle in my port.

Melissa Lea

I am pretty lucky with my port- always in the same old place.

In Europe they do not stitch the port in.

Now I remember that lady. She was in the room observing. She did feel the hard spot I was talking about, but she didn't try to fill me. I guess she is the fill-in person, no pun intended. I heard them talking about how busy they were now. I guess all the docs that use the surgicenter are using them to do their fills.

I went to the doctor today, but he decided I don't need a fill. He said my weight loss is excellent, asked me if I felt restricted (I do), congratulated me and sent me on my way. He said some people just have a restriction without the fill, and he was concerned that I would be too tight with one.

So eight more weeks, but I'm not complaining. I'm rarely hungry, get full after 3 oz of meat or fish, have to work to get 1200 calories in a day, and lost 3 pounds on my vacation last week, though I drank wine with dinner almost every night. I should say, though, I follow the eating plan pretty religiously, I walk a half hour almost every day, and I drink 64 oz of liquids or close to it every day (even on vacation).

Back to the water challenge...